Brake Job for1955 Plymouth Savoy Flathead 6 Powerflite

[DMV Guy]

Doing Brakes  Anyone have experience on getting drum off on rear. I know I need puller , but do I turn bolts in rear that self adjust brake shoes and collapse them first.

 

In front brakes what do I take off first It has two (2 ) wheel cylinders and one spring and two brake shoes. Any help would be good.  I know axel is tapered.

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by DMV Guy (see edit history)

[Bloo]

It has been way too long....

 

My gut reaction is that you would back off the adjuster, but not mess with the pivot. IIRC the pivots were adjustable on these. It seems to me if you didn't back off the adjuster you might not get the drum off if there is a ridge from wear.

 

The back ones (if you haven't seen them) should not have the split cylinder like the front, just a normal cylinder at the top, so both shoe pivots will be at the bottom. The adjuster would have to be somewhere else. Probably halfway up the shoe.

 

 

[DMV Guy]

Hello Bloo,

 

I got front one off. But what do I take off first or should I say what do I do first. I have new wheel cylinders and shoes.

[DMV Guy]

Are the bolts with arrows called holding the shoes on or just holding wheel cylinders.

[61polara]

You will need a special puller and a large hammer.  Search the forum and there is great info on this.  The puller bolts to the lugs on the drum.  Not a light weight thing as these are tapered axles.

[Spinneyhill]

On either, once inside, remove the springs first! The tool for that looks like this:

Hook the spring with the slot and put the point into the shoe and close the handle. Very simple.

 

When you get that puller for the rear drums, remember that every time you hammer on the end of the puller you are in fact hammering on the end of the axle and then hammering the bearings sideways, which can be very bad for them. Use a LONG spanner and just light taps with your little hammer and a lot of patience. An impact wrench (e.g. a rattle gun) works well.

[DMV Guy]

Good Day Mate,

 

Which way does the carter key bolt turn. I took the lug nuts off by turning them to the left. Does that center nut turn to the right to losen or left

[DMV Guy]

61 Polara,

 

What are do I search in the forum on this?

[Bloo]

 

 

2 hours ago, DMV Guy said:

Are the bolts with arrows called holding the shoes on or just holding wheel cylinders.

 

I don't remember. I suspect it holds the cylinder and the shoe. IIRC that big round thing is an eccentric adjuster for the end of the shoe. You can literally adjust the shoes up and down as well as in and out. Thats the good news. The bad news is you need to to do that to get them working.

 

It was done with a special tool that mounted like a brake drum and allowed you to measure how far the lining was from where the drum would be, all the way around. You are gonna need a manual. There may be a sequence of adjustments that would work with the drums on. If not, you may need to make a tool.

 

These have no servo action like most drum brakes of 1955. Thats why the cylinders are split on front . Two leading shoes! They feel really solid and linear like disc brakes, and stop like crazy when they are adjusted right. When they are wrong, you stand on your nice solid pedal and not much happens.

 

[DMV Guy]

Thanks I have a manual, But I do not have that tool. I thought it would be an easy brake job.

[Bloo]

2 hours ago, DMV Guy said:

Hello Bloo,

 

I got front one off. But what do I take off first or should I say what do I do first. I have new wheel cylinders and shoes.

 

61 Polara and Spineyhill pretty much nailed this. Remove the cotter key on the rear axle and loosen the nut. Back it off 1/4 inch or so but leave it there. Use the puller. Air is a better way if you can get away with it, but you will see places on the puller's "crank" to hit with a hammer if you need to. Sometimes you might need to leave the tension on it and keep tightening every day and eventually it will pop.

 

Remove springs with Spineyhill's pliers. Get some GOOD flare wrenches if you don't have some. The Harbor Freight ones are fine (surprisingly). Wimpy ones will just round all the fittings off.

[DMV Guy]

3 minutes ago, DMV Guy said:

Thanks I have a manual, But I do not have that tool. I thought it would be an easy brake job.

Thanks Bloo,

 

The nut that holds the cotter key is left to loosen correct.

[Bloo]

If the factory manual insists on a tool, look in Chiltons or Motor and see if they have some adjustment sequence that will work. Those are Lockheed brakes IIRC. They might have their own section in the manual.

[Bloo]

Im not sure about the nut! it might be backwards on one side like the lug bolts. Get your eyeball down there and you might be able to tell...

[Rusty_OToole]

Hub nut on front is conventional right hand thread, both sides. Remove cotter pin, loosen nut, give the wheel a wiggle and the bearing will pop out. Take off nut and put the bearing in a safe place. Now you can remove the wheel with drum.

 

Take off springs to disassemble the brakes. You should have a manual as a guide especially to proper adjustment.

 

Rear hubs are a taper fit on the axle shafts. You need a BIG puller, they can be stubborn.

[Bloo]

1 minute ago, Rusty_OToole said:

Rear hubs are a taper fit on the axle shafts. You need a BIG puller, they can be stubborn.

 

Are either of those left hand thread?

[hchris]

No, rear axle nuts are conventional right hand thread both sides

[Rusty_OToole]

To remove rear hubs - get the biggest puller you can. Remove cotter pin, remove nut, turn it around backwards and screw it on flush with the end of the axle. This does 2 things. It prevents the axle from getting mushroomed or the threads chewed. And it prevents the hub from flying across the shop like a guided missile.

 

Now put the puller on carefully and wail. If it won't come off right away leave it overnight and wail on it some more.

 

This subject has been covered quite a few times, if you do a search in the Chrysler section you may find a couple of enlightening threads, with pictures.

 

Or you could invest in a manual.

[DMV Guy]

Thank You.  Do I need that shoe gauge tool it says in manual that goes over center axel to adjust brakes shoes. 

[plymouthcranbrook]

Go here and do a search for brakes. Most everything you need to know is available.

 

http://p15-d24.com/page/index.html

[Spinneyhill]

If you search these fora you will find a few photos of brake adjustment tools we have made. Here is mine:

 

This is on a rear axle. The  grey plastic fits on the tapered axle. Put the brake drum on, adjust the shoes at top to touch the drum; that is the reference. Remove drum (this assumes you have no ridge on the drum and can get it off now.) Set the device so the pin (here it has the feeler gauge under it) just touches the shoe. Then set the bottom of the shoe to that distance minus the amount the manual says (0.006 to 0.012"?) i.e. put a feeler gauge in so the shoe plus gauge just touch the pin. Then set the top to the same setting. Check bottom and top and do the other shoe the same way. In this one, there is one cylinder and fixed anchors. Yours have two cylinders, but the idea will be the same.